Forever And Even After That
by NeoVassal
Summary: A short story about the immediate aftermath of the Gem War, inspired by Ruby and Sapphire's conversation within Garnet at the end of 'Keeping it Together.' Ruby/Sapphire fic.


This short story idea is a kind of guesstimate of what happened after the Gem War and also an idea about Garnet's fusion that won't be right, but it won't leave my head. Based on Ruby and Sapphire's conversation within Garnet towards the end of 'Keep it Together.'

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Even through the layers of her dress, she could feel the heat of the scorched earth. Sapphire brushed aside another mix of ash and dirt aside, revealing the dim glitter of yet another gem shard. She began to reach for it, but then hesitated, curling and un-curling her fingers over the fragile piece. With a slow, steady breath, she picked it up gently between her thumb and pointer finger and waited. A few of the shards had come alive into twisted limbs, at first horrifying Sapphire, but then quickly turning into pity. Ruby had punched the first one into the sky, but after that Sapphire convinced her to revert them back into shards less violently.

"ROSE!" Pearl's frantic shriek came a short distance away.

Sapphire merely turned her head, now immune to Pearl's hysterical outbursts after they had emerged the sole survivors of the final battle. One of the shards had morphed into a large, almost clear hand and arm, grasping desperately to anything it could take between its fingers. The form flickered into static once in awhile, like when a ship's communication device went haywire.

Rose grunted and hit the arm away with her shield. She watched with a torn expression of grief and guilt as the arm and hand burst into smoke, revealing its original shard state. "…I'm sorry. I'm _sorry_ …"

Sapphire turned away as Pearl dashed over to Rose to grab hold of her arm. Sapphire spoke clearly, but softly, looking down at the shard she collected. "You could not have saved them all."

Rose turned to Sapphire, her black eyes somehow looking darker and more tired than they normally looked. "…I know. But…if we gather as many shards as we can, I'm sure there's a way we can…we can heal them."

Sapphire, not one for words even in normal situations, merely turned back to looking through the dirt.

Pearl, on the other hand, had more to say. She stood up straight, a proud smile on her face. "Yes! If anyone can save them, it's you, Rose!"

Pearl was hysterical after the battle, of course, but managed to calm down once she saw how she was affecting Rose. Still, her eyes were still red and cheeks stained with tear streaks. Sapphire often marveled at how in one moment Pearl could be a mess, and then in the next moment, meticulously put together and acting more like a protector would.

Rose gave Pearl a weak, weary smile. "Thank you, Pearl."

Meanwhile, Ruby watched the scene from a hill stuck with swords and other weapons. She turned away and began stubbornly wiping more tears from her eyes. The war was over, they had chose Earth, but in the process. Ruby looked down at the pile of shards she had collected and sat down on the ground infront of them. With a quick movement, she bubbled the shards and allowed it to float near her head. She looked over at the others, seeing their own bubbles of shards floating in the air.

There were too many.

Ruby shivered to herself. She…part of her…could have been in one of those if it weren't for Rose's shield. Part of Sapphire too. A chill ran up Ruby's spine, trying not to imagine what it would be like to not only be in pieces, but also to be separated from Sapphire. Never hearing her sing again, or laughing at her dry sense of humor, and just never being able to see her again. Not too long ago, they were battling, fused as Garnet. They were invincible, and nothing could stop them. Now, Ruby felt vulnerable, and Sapphire was vulnerable as well. She clenched her fists hard, her fingers biting into her palms.

"Ruby?"

Ruby jumped at Sapphire's calm and familiar voice and turned to the other gem. If Ruby didn't know Sapphire as intimately as she did, her expression would appear unreadable and cold, but Ruby knew she was as scarred and war-weary as Ruby was.

Sapphire stepped towards her, reaching out to touch her tear-streaked face. "You were crying."

Ruby pulled back and turned around. "N-no I wasn't!"

Sapphire wasn't fooled, but decided not to push the subject. Ruby would continue to deny it for thousands of years anyway. She turned and looked out over the land that not too long ago they were fighting on. "It's over."

Ruby turned back around and watched as the breeze gently played with Sapphire's hair and dress. She took in a deep breath through her nose. "Sapphire!"

Sapphire turned back to her, her lips parted with surprise. "What is it?"

Ruby looked away, tears forming in her eyes. "…I…we…that could've been…"

Ruby's eyes darted to the bubbled shards hovering closeby. Sapphire followed where Ruby was looking, understanding what her lover was trying to say. "I know."

Ruby whirled around and grabbed Sapphire's hands, lifting them up towards her face. "And I don't ever want to leave you alone! I don't ever want us to end up…" She stopped and clenched her teeth, eyes staring wide at Sapphire's long bangs. "…Separated." Ruby went silent and waited to see if Sapphire would reply, but the other girl patiently waited for her to continue. "Being Garnet…and seeing the things you see…it was amazing."

Sapphire's calm expression lifted into a happy smile. "It was. I felt strong through every battle… because of you." She slipped her gemmed hand away from Ruby's grip and reached out to touch Ruby's cheek. "I love you."

Ruby's face somehow turned even more red, eyes shining as if stars had appeared in them. "Will you fuse with me then?! Forever?! A-and…even after that!"

Sapphire laughed, a dark blue appearing on both cheeks. When she did, Ruby felt incredible warmth as both their gems began to glow, their hands turning into light. Ruby began to laugh too, grabbing Sapphire into a hug as the light began spreading to the rest of their bodies. She paused, burying her face into Sapphire's long hair.

Their fusion was already beginning. Ruby began to see visions of Garnet: strong and calm, fierce but patient. She would be them, fighting for things they felt were important, and speaking in their conversations. Garnet: made of their love.

"Do…do you think it can last?" Ruby asked in a whisper.

Sapphire's reply was simple, but for Ruby, it was everything she wanted.

"Yes."


End file.
